A friend of mind mentioned a term I'd never heard of before. The "black elite" she called it, and I decided to do a little web-surfing to find out what it means.
What I found absolutely disgusted me.
Apparently this man, Lawrence Otis Graham can speak volumes about what the black elite is, and with good reason -- he is one of them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Otis_Graham
http://www.topix.com/afam/2008/01/the-black-elite-whos-in-whos-out-who-cares
And he wrote a book as well, entitiled: Our Kind of People: Inside America's Black Upper Class. One woman's reaction to this can be seen on this site:
http://www.salon.com/books/feature/1999/02/04feature.html
Some excerpts that particularly bothered me are found below.
Luckily, I meet Audrey Thorne, member of the greater New York chapter of the Links, a black women's organization profiled in the book... 'I think the book is wonderful because it has so much history, it's enlightened me to so many things I didn't know about. Race, slavery, it's enlightening to me.' She's friendly and looks me in the eye so happily I don't have the heart to ask how it comes to pass that a woman in her 70s needs to be enlightened about race or slavery.
Redhead tells a story about not wanting to take his dad, a working-class immigrant who supported him in becoming a doctor, to the famous Harlem bar the Red Rooster because "You split verbs and dangle modifiers." When his father asked his son why when he wanted to borrow money the way he talked didn't bother him, Redhead replied, "Because I'd rather say 'I is rich' than 'I am poor.'"
...WHAT?!?
Saturday, September 6, 2008
And so it begins...
I began this blog to openly review my life as I am living it. A personal history, if you will.
There are many words for myself, this is true. But I can try...
Knowledge is something that I treasure and wisdom is something I can only pray for. Music is in the heart, in the soul, and abounds in the world around us... whether or not it is beautiful music is up for debate. I believe one should walk tall on their own path, but personally I prefer to dance throughout life on mine. I am open, honest, adventurous, and ambitious. I keep a "no-bullshit" policy, and it has served me well in recent years.
I am very ambitious. Ever since I was a young girl I spoke of changing the world, despite everyone else telling me I was but one person. Yes, I am, and history has taught us that small people have done great things. I am the type of woman who says she is going to do something, and goes out and does it. When faced with adversity I do not back down or begin to doubt myself, but instead roll with the punches and trust that in due time, one way or another I will succeed in whatever I do. I have the will so that there will always be a way.
Often when people meet me they can tell I am one of a kind. And it's true; we all are.
I am a 20-something strong black woman about to graduate from college and enter the world of bigger and better things. At times, it can be difficult, even scary. But all the more reason I press on and continue to be the Rae-diant lady that I know myself to be.
There are many words for myself, this is true. But I can try...
Knowledge is something that I treasure and wisdom is something I can only pray for. Music is in the heart, in the soul, and abounds in the world around us... whether or not it is beautiful music is up for debate. I believe one should walk tall on their own path, but personally I prefer to dance throughout life on mine. I am open, honest, adventurous, and ambitious. I keep a "no-bullshit" policy, and it has served me well in recent years.
I am very ambitious. Ever since I was a young girl I spoke of changing the world, despite everyone else telling me I was but one person. Yes, I am, and history has taught us that small people have done great things. I am the type of woman who says she is going to do something, and goes out and does it. When faced with adversity I do not back down or begin to doubt myself, but instead roll with the punches and trust that in due time, one way or another I will succeed in whatever I do. I have the will so that there will always be a way.
Often when people meet me they can tell I am one of a kind. And it's true; we all are.
I am a 20-something strong black woman about to graduate from college and enter the world of bigger and better things. At times, it can be difficult, even scary. But all the more reason I press on and continue to be the Rae-diant lady that I know myself to be.
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